Apparatus for cleaning a dust mop



March 8, 1960 o. D. BURTON 2,927,338

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING A DUST MOP Filed June 13, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1LIG j j /4 8 L 12 14 Z4 gc, as I L 1 I i INVENTOR.

Owe)? D Burial? BY March 8, 1960 o. D. BURTON APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ADUST MOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 13, 1958 a ooqoeoooo APPARATUS FORCLEANING A DUST MOP Owen D. Burton, Circle, Mont.

Application June 13, 1958, Serial No. 741,812

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-302) The present invention relates to an apparatus forcleaning a dust mop.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus forcleaning a dust mop which obviates the necessity for shaking a dust mopout of a window or exteriorly of a building in which the dust mop isemployed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus forcleaning a dust mop which efliciently cleans the dust mop and treats thedust mop with a dustgathering solution simultaneously.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus forcleaning a dust mop which is sturdy in construction, one simple instructure, one economical to manufacture and assemble and one which ishighly efiective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will befully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunctionwith the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the apparatus of the present invention,shown attached to a vacuum cleaner, portions of the apparatus beingbroken away;

Figure 2 is a plan view on a reduced scale showing a mop within theapparatus in the process of being cleaned;

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the solution dispensing component ofthe present invention;

Figure 6 is an isometric View of the suction head portion of theapparatus;

Figure 7 is an elevational view of one end plate of the apparatus;

Figure 8 is a view in section of the apparatus, with the treating fluiddispenser removed; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view of a modified form of the apparatus, a mopbeing shown in a use position.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numeralsindicate like parts throughout the several views, the apparatus of thepresent invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10and comprises an elongated trough 12 having opposed spaced side walls 14and 16, and end walls 18 and 20 connecting the adjacent ends of the sidewalls 14 and 16 together. in Figure 2, a dust mop 22 is shown in thetrough 12.

An inverted second trough 24 has spaced opposed concave side walls 26and 28 and the flat bottom 30 is positioned longitudinally within thetrough 12 and extends from one end wall 18 to the other end wall 20 ofthe trough 12, the trough 24 being arranged so that the flat bottom isspaced above the bottom 32 of the trough 12 with the free ends of theside walls 26 and 28 resting upon and engaging the bottom 32 of thetrough 12. The concave side walls 26 and 28 are spaced from and face thetrough side walls 14 and 16, respectively. The bottom 30 of the trough24 is below and spaced from the upper ends of the side walls 14 and 16and the upper ends of the end walls 18 and 20 of the trough 12.

States Patent ice The inverted second trough 24 together with theadjacent portion of the bottom 32 of the first trough 12 consitutes atunnel member. The concave side walls 26 and 28 of the second trough 24are provided with a plurality of spaced ingress openings 34. The one endwall 18 of the outer trough 12 is provided with an egress opening 36through which extends a nipple 38 on the adjacent end wall 40 of theinverted trough 24. The nipple 38 constitutes an egress openingconnected in communication with the interior of the second trough 24.

In Figures 1 and 4 the reference numeral 42 designates a tank-typevacuum cleaner having a suction hose 44 on one end and a blower hose 46on the other end. The vacuum cleaner 42 is commercially available andthe details of its construction and are not here described as not beinga part of the present invention. The suction hose 44 is connected incommunication with the nipple 38, the vacuum cleaner 42 constituting asource of suction for use with the apparatus of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 3, the one end wall 18 is provided with a notch 50extending inwardly from the upper end thereof to a point adjacent to thebottom 30 of the inverted trough 24. A conduit member 52 of generallyflat configuration is positioned in superimposed abutting relation withrespect to the bottom 30 of the second trough 24. The conduit member 52has one end closed and the other end open. A nipple 54 projects from theopen end of the conduit member 52 and is received through the notch 50in the trough end wall 18. The nipple 54 constitutes an open end of theconduit member 52 positioned exteriorly of the trough end wall 18 andadapted for connection to the blower hose 46. The nipple 54 is providedwith a side opening having an auxiliary nipple 56 therein, the nipple 56being connected to a flexible conduit 58 leading to a reservoir meanscontaining a supply of fluid for treating the mop 22. Preferably, theconduit 58 may embody a flexible squeeze-type bottle 60 having indicia62 on one side thereof for indicating the quantity of fluid dispensed bymanually applied pressure to the sides of the bottle 60.

The sides of the conduit member 52 are provided with spray orifices ordispensing apertures 64 for injecting the cleaning fluid into the mop 22along with a blast of air which distributes the treating fluid throughthe strands of the mop 22. The apertures 64 are arranged in spacedrelation along both sides of the conduit member 52.

In Figure 9, a modified form of the apparatus is designated by thereference numeral 66 in which the side walls 68 and 7t and the adjacentend walls are fabricated of sheet material, there being a bottom 72extending between the lower ends of the side walls 68 and 71' A tunnelmember 74 extends longitudinally from one end to the other end of theapparatus 66 and is provided with an egress opening 76 at one endthereof for attachment to a source of suction. The side walls '78 and 88of the tunnel member 74 are provided with spaced apertures 82constituting ingress openings for the suction therethrough of dirt-ladenair from the mop 22 when the latter is positioned within the troughformed by the side walls 63 and with the handle 84 of the mop 22exteriorly of the trough.

In use, the mop 22 is positioned within the trough 12 or trough of theapparatus 66 with the handle 84 exteriorly thereof and the vacuumcleaner 42 is energized to create suction through the hose 44 to drawdirtladen air out of the strands of the mop 22 into the ingress openings34 and through the tunnel member to the vacuum cleaner 42.Simultaneously, the exhaust air from the vacuum cleaner 42 is forcedthrough the hose 46 into the conduit member 52 and a manually appliedpressure to the bottle 60 causes treating fluid to flow through.theconduit 58 into the conduit member 52 and with ablast of air to beinjected into'the strands of the mop 22, the fluid used being of thedust-gathering type commercially available.

Alternatively, the'conduit member 52 i my be removed end oflthe tunnelmember 74 and is connected in the same manner to a source of air underpressure as above described with reference to the form of the inventionillustrated in Figures 1 to '8, inclusive. 7

The trough 12 may be fabricated of metal, plastic or the like in cast ormolded form and the inverted second trough 24 may be similarlyfabricated. The form of the invention shown in Figure 9 may befabricated of sheet 'metal, sheet plastic or the like as desired.

What is claimed is; r

openings, there being an egress opening in said tunnel member adapted tobe connected in communication with a source of suction, a conduit memberhaving one end closed and the other end open positioned in superimposed7 abutting relation With'respect to said tunnel member and of saidtrough end Walls and adapted to'be connected to a source of air underpressure, said conduit member 1. An apparatus for cleaning a dust mop.omprising i an elongated trough having opposed spaced side walls and anend wall connecting the adjacent ends of said side Walls together, and atunnel member" extending longitu- V dinally within said trough in spacedrelation with respect to said trough side Walls and with the upper endof said tunnel member below and spaced from the upper edges ofs'aidrtrough side and end walls, said tunnel member being provided withaplurality of spaced ingress openings, there being an egress openinginsaid tunnel member adapted to be connected in communication with asource of suction, a perforated conduit member adapted to:contain asupply of mop-treating fluid and having one end closed and the other endopen positioned in superimposed abutting relation with respect to saidtunnel 'member and having the open end thereof extending exte-,

'an elongated trough having opposed spaced side Walls and an end wallconnecting the adjacent ends of said -side Walls together, a tunnelmemberextending longitudinally within said trough in spaced relationwith respect to the trough side walls and with the upper end of saidtunnel member below and spaced from the upper edges of said trough sideand end walls, said, tunnel member being provided with a plurality ofspaced ingress having a plurality of dispensing apertures arranged inspaced relation therealong, and. reservoir means connected incommunication with said conduit member and adapted to contain a supplyof mop treating fluid, said trough being adapted to receive a dust mopwith the handle of said dust mop exteriorly of said trough and with saiddust mop straddling said tunnel member and bridging said ingressopenings, 7

3. An apparatus for cleaning a dust mop comprising an elongatedtroughhavingopposed spaced side walls and an end Wall connecting theadjacent ends of said side walls together, an inverted trough includinga fiat top and spaced opposed concave side Walls positioned within'saidelongated trough so that the flat top is spaced above the bottom of saidelongated trough with the free ends of the concave side Walls restingupon and engaging the bottom of said elongated trough, said invertedtrough and the bottom of said elongated trough forming a tunnel member,the el member being spaced below the upper edges of said trough side andend walls, the concave sidewalls of said tunnel member being providedwith a plurality of spaced ingress openings, therebeing an egressopening in said tunnel member adapted to be connected in communicationwith a source of suction, a conduit member'having one end closed and theother end open positioned in'superimpos'ed abutting relation withrespect to the flat top of said tunnel member and having the open endthereof extending exteriorly of one of said trough end Walls and adaptedto be connected to a source of airunder pressure, said conduit memberhaving a plurality of dispensing apertures arranged in spaced relationtherealong,and reservoir means connectedvin communication with saidconduit member and adapted to contain a supply of mop treating fluid,said trough being adapted to receive a dust mop with the handle of saiddust mop exteriorly of said trough and with said dust mop straddlingsaid tunnel member and bridging said ingress openings. I

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSPeguero Oct. 2, 1956

